Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

Page 29 text:

and order than heretofore, and as a re- sult there appeared more and more crim- inals in the stocks on Main Street to be g’azed at and taunted by the public. It was during: this year that a terrible disease attacked our colony and those afflicted were forced by the Board of Health to be tag:g:ed with a sig:n on which was printed “I am lost.” Henley was attacked several times and has been sus- ceptible ever since as was evidenced the other day when he appeared at the Fi-ench settlement with a sign on his back and was femoved on account of it. The next year we changed the site of our colony and were regarded as old set- tlers by the newer immigrants. During this active year of our history we were piloted under the firm and able hand of a female president. Miss Brown. There was a great deal of propaganda previous to the election, for although the female suffrafrists held the majority, we trusted that the manly looks of our candidate, Mr. Damon, would win the hearts and votes of the sentimental sex. Our ex- pectations proved unfounded, however, for Miss Brown won by a large majority and certainly the success with which our settlement continued that year shows that Miss Brown was ably supported by all her subjects. Another change that year was in our attitude towards new-comers. Being now firmly established and old settlers, we Doked upon new immigrants with much anbnos’ty and we now played the part of tho savage by subjectinp- them to the “third deo’ree” in the old chamber of horrors which wo now confiscated for ourselves. During that year too, was celebrated a great pageant more properly called a promenade. In order to launch this af- fair successfully, a group of intelligent men and women were chosen as a com- mittee. There was more or less scandal connected with the meetings, and graft and inefficiency were two of the charges which the committee had to meet but as I was a member myself I am able to guarantee that all our meetings, night and day were conducted in a perfectly 1 usiness-like manner. Then ' came our last and most active year. Day in and day out we have been extremely busy preparing to break up oui- colrny and depart for new and un- exploit d lands. But jus because we have been busy do not think that we have had no time for recreation and ad- venture. For example, we had been going ' pretty strong and acting without due re- spect for law and order when the wrath of the Lord descended upon us. Divine vengeance followed swiftly and two of our number, Mr. Ewing and Mr. Phelan, received severe chastisement. It was during the early part of this year that we produced a sleeping beauty in the person of Henley. There was only one difference between Henley and the real sleeping beauty — she was awakened by a handsome prince, Henley was awak- ened by the passing bell. Early this spring we put on a great show for the benefit of the public. Of course this is done every year by the senior or older colonists but it was so much better this year than ever before that I just cannot help telling about it. It was a great success financially, too, the net profits amounting to about 165,- 000,000,000 marks more or less. The people who had the opportunity of seeing the performance have often commented upon its excellence but if they wanted to gaze upon genius unrestrained they should have attended some of our re- hearsals. Merson and myself could have run Mutt and Jeff, Ham and Bud, or any other “Plus” and “Minuses” out of busi- ness, Miss Swasey had Houdini beat all hollow when it came to magic, (she used to revive Miss Beals from fainting fits with an ink bottle), and when it came to Boob McNutt you should have seen Pasukonis! Shortly after this we were treated to an eclipse of the sun. As many people could not afford the time or expense to journey to Connecticut to see it, some in- genious person (I think it was Doyle,) arranged a mechanical device in our city by means of which unsuspecting people could see (or feel) the phenomena in spite of the distance from the main scene of action. For further information you are requested to observe the damage wrought to and about the windows of our city. During the first part of May we held a great international athletic meet against all the surrounding nations. We prepared diligently for this day for many weeks but were defeated by the Winthrop people. We came off glorious in defeat however as was evidenced at the stadium on Market Street, when, led by our dazzling choir leader, Mr. Ewing, we broke forth into the strains of “How- do ya do” and congratulated our victors. Perhaps you will not believe that we trained vei ' y assiduously, but if you had 27

Page 28 text:

the richest language on earth we learn good speaking and writing habits be- cause we are daily called upon to speak and to write correctly. We have also learned, to our sorrow and demonstrated the fact that no amount of careful drill and training in good English habits in school can offset careless and lazy habits out of school. We need to be constantly on our guard if we are to make our study of f]nglish speaking and writing a habit. As for the study of literature, the works of the masters how may we change this into habits? Perhaps this study is even more valuable than that of English gi ' ammar and composition, for by the study of the characters in literature, we may profit by their failures and suc- cesses and thereby form good living habits. Godfrey Cass in “Silas Marner” teaches us that we cannot sin without causing unhappiness to others, and that concealed sin will at length be brought to light. Sidney Carton, on the other hand, in “The Tale of Two Cities” teaches us the value of a life of un- selfishness and of self-sacrifice. By the study of literature, therefore, we learn to apply the truths exemplified by the characters and thus to form good habits of character. In the study of history and biography also, “Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime. And departing leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time.” Closely connected with history is the study of civics from which we may learn habits of good citizenship and of civic pride. A serious study of economies helps to form habits of thrift, a virtue which as the life of Benjamin Franklin demonstrates is of no mean importance. Thus we could go on enumerating every subject which is offered in high school and show its possibilities for forming good habits. Not only in the class-room however, is the fact of our motto demonstrated ; even in our recrea- tion, in athletics, we have a concrete ex- ample of its truth. Through our partici- pation in athletics we learn to form habits of good sportmanship, of coopera- tion, and of sacrificing individual inter- est for the good of the team, qualities which after they become habits are of inestimable value in st curing success in life. Having completed our studies at Man- ning High School and received from them an equipment which has enabled and will enable us to change our studies into habits let us go on realizing that educa- tion in life for us has not ended, but just begun; that therefore, we can go on changing our studies into habits. Let our motto then be a guide and inspira- tion to the Class of 1925 through all the coming years. Let us take pride in it and testify to its truth by our own lives. “Abeunt Studia in Mores.” MARK HAYES HISTORY of OUR COLONY. Founded at Manning Height s in the year 1921 In the month of September of the year nineteen hundred and twenty-one a new colony was founded in the country of Manning Heights. We had our site all picked out. Plot I in the government lands for we had sent a skirmishing party ahead in the month of June to scout around for that purpose. After having selected individual resi- dences and settled ddwn, we next as- sembled to choose a governor or presi- dent, and to that position we elected William Martel an active go-getter whom we were sorry to lose at the ex- piration of our first year. There were many troubles during our first year. We w ' ere frequently attacked by tribes of savages known as Seniors and Sophomores and subjected to all kinds of indignities and cruel treatment in a chamber of horrors located under- ground. , Besides this, members of our colony were frequently wandering from the beaten path and becoming lost in the vast wilderness. One of our members, a Hardy youth was lost time and time again, and we had just about decided to tie a cowbell around his neck when he at last succeeded in finding himself. Then, too, we w ere unused to the cus- toms of the new land and our members were frequntly falling into trouble owing to ignorance of them. But as a whole we worked hard and did our level best, and by the end of the first year our colony was firmly established, and we had ac- complished much. At the launching of our second year we lost our former governor. Martel, and we elected to his place, Reedy, who later turned out to be one of our great grid- iron warriors. By this time we were getting used to the change and our roughnecks (yes, I am bound to confess we had some) began to think less of law 26

Page 30 text:

seen Doyle, Christopher, Ewing, Hills, and Hayes guns on shoulders, marching day in and day out and sacrificing the time that they so much wanted to put in- to study, you would agree with me. Marriage and divorce have taken their toll in our colony as in every other, I suppose. I ought therefore to mention the most celebrated of our colony who have contemplated or are contemplating entrance into the matrimonial realm. Among the most recent marriages were those of Mr. Ewing and Miss Munroe, and of Mr. Phelan and Miss Merry. I am requested by my brother and sister citizens to give them our best wishes for a happy and prosperous union. I am forced also to mention with regret the divorce case of Mr, and Mrs. Merson, nee Natalie Brown. Rumor mentions a co-respondent but I think the court granted Mr. Merson his divorce papers on the ground of cruel and abusive treat- ment. Recently the young ladies of our city decided to hold knitting parties every Thursday night and the boys decided to go to hold the yarn for them. Of course we were pretty green at first, indeed so green that when one of the young ladies exclaimed, “Eve dropped a stitch!”, I very politely volunteered to hunt for it and did so for about fifteen minutes be- fore the laughing told me that there was a joke in it somewhere. But now I must -close this history for our colonists feel once more the uncon- querable call of the American pioneer, and therefore find it necessary to dis- band that we may go forth into newer and unexplored lands. In closing, and as we part, let me express the hope that our future history will be as happy and successful as this of our four past years. EDMUND WITHAM GIFTS TO GIRLS A short time ago I went to consult the well known fortune-teller, Mrs. Hokus Pckus Hoo-Doo, concerning some ap- propriate gifts for the girls of the Class of 1925. You can see for yourself, there- fore that the very valuable and useful gifts which I am about to present the girls were decreed by the unerring hand of fate in the guise of a fortune-teller. I gave the prophetess the names of the girls, and with no hesitation she began, “Mary Beals is a very studious young lady. Give her a wheelbarrow so she may carry her books around with more ease.” (wheelbarrow) The next name on the list was Natalie Brown. The old gypsy looked at me and giggled. “Natalie loves? — literature. She reads vast stores of books. I am confident that this bookworm will prove to be a congenial companion.” (worm) Then the old woman said, “My clair- voyant gift tells me that Elsie Hull is your class soloist. Give her this voice (s) trainer so that she may irrigate her voice.” (small bottle of punch) The old hag paused awhile and then continued in a sterner tone, “Mildred Jedrey should follow her father’s pro- fession and become a policeman, or rather a police lady when she leaves school. Here is a billy club. She may bep in practice early on Ewing.” (billy club) “I can see by the name of the next person, Jennie Jianakountzos, that that individual is a good girl. Tell her to avoid that tomboy, Isabelle Swasey, and give Jennie this medal for good be- haviour.” Then the old gypsy took me into her confidence and said, “Do you know that Dorothy Merry is in constant danger of getting lost in Pine Swamp? Give her this flashlight so that she may never be “Phelan” to find her way.” She uttered a rasping cough and con- tinued, “Give Mary Munroe this dish pan to fill up (Philip) her hope chest. “I am sorry for Margaret Phelan be- cause she has to wait and wait for her brother’s private jitney, namely, ‘The Lip-htning Despatch’ to take her home nights after school. Give her this donkey as a means ef conveyance. She will be home before her brother has learned not to throw erasers in school and other nec- essary points in school discipline. “Audrey Patterson,” my never-failing crystal tells me, “is rather lazy. She hates to walk upstairs. Give her this private elevator to take her up.” (tack) The old gypsy locked puzzled. Then she left the room, but returned almost immediately and said, “My trusty Ouija board informs me that Mildred Pickard does not take enough exercise. Here is a rocking-horse modelled after the presi- dential steed of the same species. By means of this she can study and exercise at the same time. “Alice Mullens is rather fond of poetry. Give her this book of Whit- tier’s “Assorted Poems.” The old lady got up and walked around for awhile. Then she said to me, “When the Ipswich to Rowley unlimited, over- 28